Transcript: “My UX career allowed me to move across the world” : Ask Me Anything

So I’m going to begin by introducing @heatherwyd

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Hi everyone! Currently enrolled in Bloc’s UX bootcamp and I loved Heather’s article. I could relate to almost everything she wrote :wink:.

Then I’ll let Heather give us a brief rundown of her story and we?ll open the floor for questions :slightly_smiling_face:

Great to have you here @crichardson :slightly_smiling_face:

Hello everyone! Thanks for joining us today! :slightly_smiling_face:

If you haven’t already read it, don’t miss Heather’s article ? it’s gold http://uxmastery.com/4-excuses-hold-back/

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So to give you Heather’s bio is probably the most efficient way to intro her!

Heather Wydeven is an Experience Designer at ThoughtWorks. Her background in theatre and graphic design helped to build the communication and design skills she needed for UX, and in 2013 she entered the field through a UX apprenticeship program. Heather is passionate about helping people improve communication in the design and technology fields and enjoys mentoring those new to UX.

(Although not very personal – apologies @heatherwyd!)

Hi Heather, thank you so much for this teach in! I am new in the UX world and its beneficial hearing other UXer’s stories

Thanks @hawk that’s perfect! :slightly_smiling_face:

It?s great to see so many people here. I’ll hand the mic to you now Heather. Tell us your story. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thanks for the intro @hawk! I’ve been reading many of your comments as you?ve been joining, and I can relate to so many of those thoughts! I was in exactly the position of wanting to get into UX several years ago, but not knowing how to do it. All the jobs I could find required many years of experience, and there weren’t quite as many incredible resources available at that time:)

I was able to get into UX through an apprenticeship program offered by my former employer

The program was designed to help those with no UX experience but with the raw talent develop UX skills

It was very hands-on, so I was able to learn by doing work on actual projects and being mentored by other designers on the team

Previously I was a graphic designer, so I had some design background, but no web experience, so it was a big change for me!

Through the UX apprenticeship, I was able to get the skills I needed and build my experience.. which has led to other great opportunities, such as this one! :slightly_smiling_face:

I’ve since moved from the U.S. to Australia, where I’m continuing my UX career

That’s my story, in a nutshell:)

Love to help anyone who is looking to get into UX, as I know how tough it can be!

That’s an inspirational story. :slightly_smiling_face:

There are millions of people with questions, so I’m going to throw it open. Go for it people!

You briefly touched on having “raw skills” that helped with your experience. For newbies, what are some of those raw skills? (I’m taking inventory of my own)

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How long did the apprenticeship last?

Can you offer any advice for someone who would like to make a UX career abroad? How did you do it?

Sorry, that should have read “raw talent”. *

Did you find any differences (either culturally or professionally) getting into the UX field moving abroad? How difficult (or easy) was the transition?

Thanks Heather. I am currently studying UX and the thing that intimidates me the most about the field is the expectation that in short amount of time you can work with a new company, solve all their users’ problems, and exponentially increase their conversion rate. Is that really realistic though? Can you learn about a completely different industry and do enough user research that you will have more insight than the company employees?? What if your research doesn’t lead to any major insights?

I have a great opportunity tomorrow to meet with an upper level manager of the UX division. I’m a system engineer currently. No UX or design experience. Other than passion for user experience being key for technology to really make an impact I’m not sure what else to highlight. How did you convince your former employer of your raw talents?

@desertcoder great question! You definitely have to have some design skills, however I don’t think that’s all there is. UX is a lot about communication, how you deal with stakeholders and your teammates. You have to present your work, and also facilitate conversation about design requirements and feedback. So communications skills are huge. Also the ability to problem solve and understand how to look at things from different perspectives to reach a solution is important.

@ralph-nyc: it was a 3 month program

Hi, thanks for your time Heather. I’m Shalita and I studied animation, motion graphics & advertising. But I’m currently working as a software tester. I’m trying to merge those 2 skill sets together and get into UX. The company I work for is pretty small at the moment, but they’ve been growing and are keen to have a UX designer on board so I see an opportunity here. I’ve been attending meetups and talking to people and doing lots of reading, but I’m trying to figure out what my next step should be. It’s awesome you had that UX internship! Would be great if I could find something like that.

@dminder: It’s definitely not an easy road, but it can be done! I was very fortunate to have the chance to speak at a UX conference in Australia last year, which is where I was connected with the company I work for now. I’d say to expose yourself to as many opportunities as you can, especially in places you think you’d like to work. Get involved in forums, blogs, attend conferences abroad if you can. That’s a great place to start:)

What are all the skills you learned during those 3 months and did you have a portfolio?

Would you say that starting out as a “UI” designer will get you the type of experience to get hired as a UX designer? Having experience as a graphic designer I feel I’d make a lot better use of my time applying towards the visual side of being a UX designer first.

@mike you know, I’ve been surprised actually at how similar UX is in Australia compared to how it was in the States. For me, it’s been more subtle cultural differences that I had to adjust to. UX knowledge here is largely the same, but I did find that the approach of my company here is different than the one I was at previously. The transition has been challenging at times, but also very rewarding:)

Hi Heather. Your story is inspiring and gives me hope. I’m a grad student studying HCI. My biggest struggle has been interviewing effectively. Though I have some school projects, I’m finding it challenging to get past the interview stage. Have you interviewed UX candidates before? What are some things a person starting out in UX could do to be the perfect candidate?

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Hey all, I’m queuing the questions so they won’t be missed, but let’s just give Heather a couple of mins to catch up on the backlog

How you deal with ‘selling’ software and focus group interview & testing to senior management. I was able negotiate getting into the UX space at work but now I need to convince management that it’s worth the money to spend on tools needed for UX including money for user testing & focus groups – maybe presenting them with case studies and ROI? Do you know where I can find some samples?

@crichardson: great question! That’s definitely a tough one! It’s true that you are coming in to a company with less experience and domain knowledge than the employees themselves often have. You do have to put in effort to understand the business, and that’s an important part of what we do as designers. However, I do think that being new into a company can be great for that business as you offer a fresh perspective to them. You can come in as an unbiased third party and help to give some direction and help them to understand their users better. And sometimes, maybe the research doesn’t always give you any new information, but I think that in itself is an insight! I find that you can always be surprised by what research tells you:)

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@yvetted: Welcome. :slightly_smiling_face:

@crystal I was able to talk to them about the experience I did have and demonstrate how that could be related to UX. I was able to explain my work and my design process, and show them I could solve problems and understand both business and user requirements. You can take a look at the work you’ve done and talk about how it reflects who you are and the current skillset you have

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@heatherwyd: Yes definitely, any research is better than no research and I guess companies have to understand that there is a risk of not finding any new information. Hopefully the companies that are looking for UX work and the ones that really need it haha.

@smoore: sounds like you are doing the right things! Attending meetups and doing as much reading as you can is a great start! The next thing you could do is look for a mentor, someone who can answer your questions and help you continue to grow your skills. You could also consider doing your own project, like pick a site you’d want to redesign, and practice your skills. This way you can start to develop your own design process:)

@heatherwyd: So what would you say were your three main challenges in addressing the challenges within your organisation Re UX and how did you overcome them?

Hi Heather, I’m a software engineering student and have just begun my summer break. I’ve been working on the design of an app from gathering requirements to focus groups related to the app (like eventbrite but more localised i.e. Giving you a broad view of current events but events that are in a specific niche. The app is based around profit atm) all the way to a prototype now. Even though i can do all this, from start to prototype, i am only a beginner at adobe cc. Can i get a job based on what i have done, and job roles could they be? Thanks. I have provided some screenshots.

@ralph-nyc: I did have a graphic design portfolio before I started the apprenticeship, and by the end I was able to begin developing a UX portfolio, though it was comprised mostly of the work I had done during those 3 months. During the apprenticeship I learned about all the various areas in UX such as research, user testing, interaction design, and business discovery. I learned what each of those things was and various approaches and methods in each of those areas. I had the chance to practice them on actual project work, with the supervision of another designer. There was also workshops and supplemental reading to go along with it. It was an intense, but great 3 months! :slightly_smiling_face:

Do you think it is important to have a blog so that potential employers can see your thought process and how you work through problems? Or is a portfolio enough for them to gauge that? I know that most people will only spend a small amount of time looking at your portfolio so maybe then would never take the time to read a blog?

@jxslepton: yes definitely, that’s a great place to start! Visual design is an important part of UX, and if you’ve got visual skills to begin with and then you develop your UX skills, that will make you a very well-rounded designer. I’ve got the ability to do both as well, and I find that’s really helped me out a lot as I understand the visual aesthetic as well as the interaction and user side of it.

@heatherwyd: Thanks! Those were some of the thoughts I had too. Good to get some confirmation that that’s a good idea :slightly_smiling_face:

Hi Heather, I’m attempting to build a UX portfolio on my own, at least for now. My background is in advertising and branding/design. I’ve been reading up and am trying to start the first project, but I’m not really sure how to begin. Any tips on straying a project?

Thanks for the reply. I haven’t received many responses from company’s I’ve submitted my resume to with mainly my visual design skill set so maybe there are other areas I need to work on.

@uxumar: I think your question is one that would be better suited to our community rather than the format of this session. You’re very welcome to join us at http://community.uxmastery.com where we can all help you out

Ok thanks!

Hello, late to the party but I’m Jason, presently a former developer turned maritime officer in DC, trying to be a UX-er in Z¸rich

@vedanthk: thank you, and that’s great to hear! Interviews can definitely be tough, and a bit overwhelming:) I was nervous at first because I wasn’t sure if I had the right skills or experience, but what I’ve learned is to be confident (not arrogant) about what skills and experience I do have. I think it’s important to show the work you’ve done and discuss how you were able to approach a design problem and show what your process is. And be honest about what experience and skills you do have? it’s ok if you don’t know it all right away:) It’s hard to know it all at the beginning, but the important thing is to demonstrate that you have the desire and the ability to learn and grow in your skills.

Welcome @sgiobair_og :slightly_smiling_face:

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I also had a 3 month UX internship but they had other things not related to ux such as ad banners. I got to do some wireframes and come up with ideas in a room with others. Any advice where to go from here? Do I just keep applying? I am working on my portfolio as well so what are the most important parts that I should show in my portfolio? Is it a bad idea to want to be a hybrid? (UI/UX Designer)

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@onkar yes that can be a challenge to sell the value of UX and especially research to businesses! An example I can give you right now is that I had worked on a project where the stakeholders were very hesitant to do any kind of user testing. They allowed me to do a small sample, but I had to work hard to convince them it was worth their time and money. After I tested their site with 5 users and presented the results, they loved it so much they decided to give me more users to test with. The best thing you can do is help them understand why it’s valuable to their business and how much money it will save them in the end to understand their users from the start:) I’m happy to follow up with you later, and give you more examples if you like!

That’ll be great Heather, we’ll be in touch

@crichardson: I don’t think that it’s imperative that you have a blog, but it definitely doesn’t hurt! I do think a portfolio is important though, and it doesn’t have to have heaps of work in it for it to be a good one. My site only has 3 currently, but I took the time to write case studies for each project to explain my entire process, from start to finish. Employers generally want to see how you approached the problem, not simply just the pretty final product:)

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I was told as far as a UX portfolio is involved that it is important to present your pieces as “cases studies”. Thanks for additional input on that

@thejonique: great job on starting your portfolio! Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started:) You could pick a site that you think could use some UX love and create the project requirements for yourself. Write out the design problem you are going to solve and how you intend to solve it. Then document the process you follow in order to get to your final design. You could also check with any friends to see if they’ve got any projects they’d want help on.. a great way to help friends out and gain experience while you’re just getting started:) Showing any design work is better than showing no design work, even if it’s not something you did as part of an official job.

Hi, I’m a former design engineer who is transitioning to UX. I have done a few courses and have been volunteering as a UX designer with a non-profit startup, which has been great in giving me some practical experience.
My question: I’ve noticed that job ads often ask for experience with specific software packages (but unfortunately not always the same packages…). I don’t really understand this attitude as it is easy enough to learn later, but I also don’t want to be eliminated because I’m lacking it. What packages would you recommend learning? Cost is a factor as the non-profit has no budget for this sort of thing so I’d have to purchase it myself.

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@jxslepton: happy to help more later if you’d like:)

In your experience are most companies hiring different people for UX and UI? Or do they expect one person to do both? Similarly do companies have a UX team or is it a single individual?

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@heatherwyd: I think expressing interest in UX well is where I need to be better. Thank you for the tip :slightly_smiling_face:

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Setting my requirements makes sense! That way I’m grounded before going at it silly nilly. Thanks!

This is awesome

Those of you that are finding this session valuable might also be interested in an upcoming session with Cory Lebson. Details here: http://community.uxmastery.com/t/upcoming-opportunity-to-talk-with-cory-lebson-about-ux-careers/1101

Can you give an example of a problem that you solve and your process?

IoT, Big Data, SaS, the “Cloud”. What do you see as the future in UX/UI for providing the tools for visual presentation of data in this world? What will will be the UX/UI of VR/AR? How do I prepare for it?

BTW, I am a 60 year old College student in Web Design at Clark College. This would be useful for my UX/UI class. Former engineer, future designer.

There’s a heavy emphasis where I work on user-centered design research. Can you recommend some resources to learn what these research types are and how to accomplish it?

@ralph-nyc: sounds like you had some valuable experience with creating wireframes and working as part of a team. I’d leverage that experience when you apply! Talk about what you learned and how you will apply that to your next design challenge. Keep working on your portfolio, reading, and talking to as many people in the community as you can. Make connections and you never know what opportunity that could lead you to. In your portfolio, highlight the things that make you, you. Talk about what you learned in your experience and show how you approach design problems. It’s not bad to want to do a combo of UI/UX, I do think having skills in multiple areas makes you a more well-rounded designer! My current company looks for those who have skills in multiple areas as well

Thank hawk I’m in . :blush: I’m the guy you send the invitation.

@kiri_23: Yay!!

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:)

Starting out in UX is it best to market yourself as a specialist or a generalist?

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Sorry I’m really late

All good Chris :slightly_smiling_face:

@lynne: yes that’s a tough one, I know what you mean! For me personally, while it’s important to know some software, I agree that it can be picked up later. My primary tool as of late has been Sketch, but I’ve also worked extensively in Adobe Creative Suite, which I know can be spendy. There are lots of great tutorials and some classes out there that can help you learn the tools. You could also try 30 day trials of various software:) Demonstrate that you’re able to learn and pick up new software and showcase your other skills as well in the meantime!

Re: software, any tips for creating prototypes? We’re using Axure but it’s not exactly user friendly. :grin:

Can design be taught to non artistic people, like say engineers?

desert have you checked out invision?

@ralph-nyc: I didn’t know about it. I’ll check it out – thanks!

I 2nd Sketch

yea check it out, the most popular prototyping tool so far and use friendly.

@crichardson: Personally I haven’t noticed as much separation lately between UX/UI. I also think it depends on how a company is defining the role and if they want a UI person who is more visually focused. UX/UI can often be a similar skillset though. UX teams or individuals depend again on the company? I’ve only ever worked as part of a UX team, but there may be some smaller companies who will only hire an individual to start.

checkout UXPIN too @desertcoder

Hi Heather, in opposition to the usual question of what you should do, do you have any tips about what makes a bad/negative UX designer and what might effectively hold someone back in their careers? It’s always nice to know what kind of behaviour to avoid making a bad impression.

@heatherwyd: As I try to build my portfolio (from next to nothing) I’m probably going to rely on blogging a lot. Should I keep my topics focused on Web UX or is it worthwhile to go into topics from elsewhere in the Human Factors realm, such as critiquing automated phone services, talking about the thought process behind an improvement to a user manual’s format, or human considerations when putting together requirements for physical objects?

@ralph-nyc: I can follow up with you on that one:) seeing as how we’ve only got a few minutes left!

@desertcoder: check out http://proto.io. Been using it around 5 months now, very good results ( has its own app for android and ios. So you can send links and also use ipads/tabs for demos)

Marvel is super user friendly and free too. There are a lot lol

We have about 5 mins left in the session everyone. If you have questions that we haven’t had time to answer, I encourage you to catch up with Heather on our community forums http://community.uxmastery.com/users/heather_wydeven/activity

How can we use social media as tools for both education and employment?

I discovered UX by accident whilst looking for material on question sequencing, question design, paper form design and related topics for another purpose. UX (to me) sounds like a very broad area and skillset, that has applications beyond software and websites. Is this an accurate impression in your opinion? Also, do people working in UX do every aspect of the process (for example if they are the only person employed in that capacity)? Or is it more usual to be part of a larger team and to specialise in a smaller number of aspects of the process and skills?

jx does marvel allow more prototypes for free than invision? or is there a limit?

@bchalcroft: Love that you’re a former engineer, future designer! I think that’s a great path into UX:) It’s a lot to think about for sure, as the design landscape is changing rapidly by the day! Keep your skills fresh by knowing what resources are out there, and involving yourself in the space that interests you the most. I think UX/UI is going to have a place in the world for a long time to come, even with changing technology, as there will still continue to be a human component to that.

Great session! Thanks for your time…

Hello Heather, I currently work in the Research Triangle (http://www.rtp.org | http://www.rtp.org/rtp-company-directory) and am in the process of transitioning to a new UX position at one of the plethora of companies located there. My question is how demonstrate design sense when I’m not a trained designer but have worked with creatives for nearly 25 years? I have all the chops for other aspects of a UX position but the question does come up during interviews and I need a way to convey that in a positive sense. Hope that makes sense.

if I haven’t had the chance to answer you, or you’d like more details on the answer I provided, please follow up with me! :slightly_smiling_face: I know we’re about finished with this session.

Should we apply to all types of UX jobs at first?

Let me look that up real quick.

Thanks Heather

Thanks Heather. Hard to catch everyone’s questions in this forum but appreciate you tried :slightly_smiling_face:

We had so many great questions!

I love the enthusiasm and motivation I’m hearing today, it’s encouraging that so many of you are pursuing careers in the UX field! Awesome questions!

I know it can be discouraging at times, but keep up all the awesome work, and don’t give up! :slightly_smiling_face:

@jxslepton uploaded a file: http://uxmastery.slack.com/files/jxslepton/F1DDHDDNF/marvelapp.png

Thanks SO much for today @heatherwyd ? you’ve been an absolute star

And thanks to all of you that joined us

Thanks @heatherwyd !

Esp for all the great questions

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Thank you @hawk and all of you!!! Really appreciate you all being here!

So don’t forget to check out the details of Cory’s upcoming session here http://community.uxmastery.com/t/upcoming-opportunity-to-talk-with-cory-lebson-about-ux-careers/1101

And please join us over at http://community.uxmastery.com

I’ll post a full transcript of this session up on http://uxmastery.com tomorrow

i just got the invitation to this 8 minutes ago! looks like i missed it :disappointed:

oh no! sorry to hear that @marcela ? pesky email!

You can read back over what you missed, and follow up with Heather over at our forums, so all is not lost!

Thanks @hawk & @heatherwyd

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Have a nice evening

I’ve started a topic for follow up questions here: http://community.uxmastery.com/t/follow-up-questions-for-the-amazing-heather-wydeven/1123

Thanks @heatherwyd and also to @hawk who always does a stellar job hosting these events!